Rotary engine.



P. w. FERGUSON.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Arrmumlox FILED JULY 22, 1910.

Patented J une 20, 1911.

4 BHEET8-BHEET 1.

F. W. FERGUSON.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22,1910.

Patented June 20, 1911.

4 SHEETS-32211. 2.

Elam/M01 jinn/f 1. I 21" usozzchi-0mm,

F. W. FERGUSON.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 22, 1910.

Patented June 20, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

F. W. FERGUSON. ROTARY ENGINE. APPLICATION IILED' JULY 22, 1010.

Patented June 20, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

la a? 40 l6 :2? :2 J r 6 2:9 66 /4 be flan Z 144176! uson.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK W. FERGUSON, OF KING-MAN, ARIZONA TERRITORY.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 20, 1911 Application filed July 22, 1910. Serial No. 573,307.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK W. FERGUSON, acitizen of the United States, residing at Kinguian, in the county of'Mohave and Territory of Arizona, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to rotary engines and the object of the invention is to provide means in an engine of this type for controlling the inlet of fuel and exhaust of spent gases in such a manner as to obtain a maximum efiiciency.

A. still further object 01 the invention is the provision in a devicc of this character of a unitary control for the admission of fuel under pressure and 01 the spark for igniting said'fuel.

".Further objects of the invention will appear as the following specific description is read in connection with the accompanying drawings which form a part of this application and in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation. Fig. 3 is a side elevation. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken longitudinally through the casing. Fig. 5 18 a detail vertical transverse section. Fig. 6 is a detail horizontal section through the valve 'iuechanisni. Fig. 7 isa detail section through the piston valve. Fig. 8 is a. detail side plevalion taken on the side opposite thatshown in Fig. :1.

. Referring more particularly to the drawings 1 represents the base of the engine on which is mounted the engine casing 2 comprising water jacketed sides 3 and the pisston cylinder 4. The upper portion of the cylinder 4 has integrally cast therewith the valve headt5 in whic slidably n ounted the valve? and theiup or belief each side member 3 is preferably formed separately from the" lower half so as to permit access to said valve and. to the other parts of the valve mechanism which will hereinafter be desorih i.

Journaled. centrally in the side members 3 is a shaft 7 upon which is mounted the piston S which is concentric with the inner periphei y of the cylinder 4 and has positioned in itsv side faces the concentric packing means 9, springpressed into en agement with the sides 3 as shown. Slidab y mounted within the piston 8 and normally pressed into engagement with the inner periphery of the cylinder 4' is a single piston wing 10 which i and are secured to the valve head 5.

has suitable packing 11 on its outer end and similar packing 12 on its sides to engage the cylinder and side members 3 of the casing. Immediately adjacent the wing 10 and. forming an additional thrust bearing therefor, is a. valve operating cam 13 which, as the piston rotates, raises the valve 6 from its seat. A similar cam 14 is secured to the inner side of the cylinder and forms an additional thrust bearing for the valve 6 and as the piston rotates causes the depression of the wing 10 against its operatin spring 15.

The valve 6 is normal y held down against the periphery of the piston 8 and is provider at its upper end with a head 16 through which suitable guiding rods 17 pass The outer ends of the rods 17 have adjusting nuts 18 applied thereto and spiral springs 19 surround the rods between the head and the adjusting nuts so as to kee the valve normally seated against the piston. The head has a projecting stud 20 which is connected to the piston rod 21 of a dash pot plunger 22. This plunger operates in a dash pct 23 and as the valve rises, the plunger forms a vacuum in the pot and as it falls a. pressure which retards the action of the springs l9 and prevents fluttering of the valve.

()n the rear side of the engine innu-uiiately adjacent the 'asing there secured to the shaft 7 a crank wheel 25% which has recen'trically connected to it a piston rod 25 uhose upper end is pivoted to a piston Lfi traveling in the combustion cylindor I imih ed to the rear side member 30f tl'u: easing. and removable as a unit with its ni fittl" 1. 1 31" tiou.

one of the apertures is a valve casing 523: having a spring-controlled inlet valve 2!! l'hfl tln which governs the ingress of air in the cylinder 27. The other aperture 15 rev-- ered by a valve casing 30 in which a spring pressed valve 31 is mounted and upon the top of the valve casing 30 is l'uounted 'check valve casing 32 having a check "tlw The upper portion of the casing is apertured in two places and seated over valve rod 38. The valve rod 38 passes thrcmgh a bushing 39 in the upperportion of the valve head and is connected to a cmss; head carried on the outer end of thefil sparkin rod 41 which is reciprocally mounted in bearings 42 and has its lower end sheared oil and arranged'in the path of a cam 43 which is ioperated by the gear 44 in ,mesh with the pinion 45 keyed to the shaft/7. The cam 43 and the gear 44-are mounted in the free end of a weighted arm 44 which is pivoted at its opposite end to one side ofthe casing.

Secured to the sparking rod 41 above the upper bearing 42 is a laterally projecting pin 46 which lies in the path of the spark ever 47 pivoted upon the casing and having its opposite end lying in thepath of an insulating in 48. The arm 47 is normally prevent from engaging the in 48 by means of a spiral spring 49 and is limited in its-downward movement by a in 50.

When the pin on the rod 41 strikes 1; e arm exhaust, thus securing the maximum amount of energ When the wings are in the position in icated in F g. 4, with the. live gases between them ready for ignition, the remainspace in the en 'ne casing is partially in filled with the big ly' expanded inactive gases which readily pass out of the exhaust port as the piston wing 10-moves around in v the casing.

It willbe understood that by removing the sparking mechanism and; the fuel mix; ing and in ecting pumlzi gine may be connecte wit fafsource of the fiuirt in the ensteam supply or other fluid under pressure and the engine used as a rotary fluid pres sure engine instead of an internal combus-v tion engine.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed is- 1. A rotary engine comprising a cylinder, a piston rotating therein, means carried by the piston and casing and coacting with the latter to form a combustion chamber, fuel supplying means operated by the piston for supplying fuel to the combustion chamber, a valve mechanism for controlling the admission of fuel to the combustion chamber, and including a valve rod, a sparker lever and means carried by the valve rod for operating the sparker lever. j

2. A rotary engine comprising a cylinder, a piston rotating therein, means carried by the piston and'casing and coacting with the latter to form a combustion chamber, fuel supplying means, a valve mechanism for controlling the admission of fuel to the combustion chamber, and including a valve rod, a sparker lever, means to normally hold the sparker lever inoperative, and means carrled by the valve rod for operating the sparker lever.

3. A rotary engine comprising a cylinder,

a piston rotating therein, means carried by the piston and casing andcoacting with-the latter to form a combustion chamber, fuel supplying means, a valve mechanism for controlling the admission of fuel to the combustion chamber, and including a valve rod, a sparker lever, a spring to normally hold the sparker-lever in inoperative position, and apin carried by the valve rod for engaging'the sparker lever to operate the saxIne 1 ainst the tension of the spring.

I n 2. in p i nee of two Witnesses.

I FRANK W. FERGUSON.

Witnesses:

M. A. Sawrnn,

Prnmr SMITH.

dented of this patent' may heobtalned for live cents each, addressing the Commissioner or latents.

un-mm. an."

timony whereof I afiix my signature 

